By Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein

Shehehiyanu and Tu BiShvat Sourcesheet (pdf with Hebrew)
Shehehiyanu and Tu BiShvat E-shiur (pdf of this page with Hebrew)

Life is filled with special moments which, to our detriment, we take for granted. Our lives would be better if we would learn to appreciate the blessings it has to offer. Yerushalmi Kiddushin 4:12 (66b) teaches us that it is wrong to neglect even the simplest of life’s blessings:

“Rabbi Hezkiah, Rabbi Kohen in the name of Rav: In the future a person will give an accounting for everything that his eyes saw and he did not eat. Rabbi [E]liezer took this teaching seriously. He saved his coins so that he might eat of everything once a year.”

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By Rabbi Daniel Goldfarb, Yeshiva Director

This E-Shiur is made possible by a generous grant from Temple Zion Israelite Center, Miami, Florida. It is dedicated to the memory of the 44 people who lost their lives in the Carmel Forest fire.

CY Tu Bishvat SOURCE SHEET (pdf)
CY Tu Bishvat E-Shiur  (pdf)

The 15^th of the month of Shvat, Tu BiShvat, has enjoyed a real growth in popularity in recent generations.  It is probably “celebrated” on a wider scale today than ever before.  Jews all over the world, many totally secular, will eat a variety of fruits and nuts, 15 if possible, or even take part in Tu BiShvat Seders.  Every Jewish child in Israel has a Tu BiShvat program at school.  The Jewish National Fund arranges for tens of thousands of saplings to be planted in Tu BiShvat activities every year.

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